Sublime

If leadership is finally an art that cannot be conventionally taught but can be learned through the artistry of the right kind of coaching, then a commitment to practice must dwell at the core of the learning process. One of the most important features of this approach is that it has gone a long way in creating a context that recognizes the value o

BILL GATES Cofounder, Microsoft; Cochair, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

There is a certain kind of leader who recruits only people like himself or herself. There is another, better kind of leader who realizes you can only accomplish extraordinary things by involving excellent people who can do things that you cannot.

Leadership for this era is not a role or a set of traits; it’s a zone of interrelational process.

seminars. A commitment to individualized professional development comes from understanding that the courage to make needed change resides in people who have a long-term perspective and a stake in the organization’s future.

acts of leadership depend less on the magnetism and social dominance of heroic individuals and more on the capacities of individuals (who may be located in a wide variety of positions) to skillfully intervene in complex systems.

I’ve come to believe that coaching might be even more essential than mentoring to our careers and our teams. Whereas mentors dole out words of wisdom, coaches roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. They don’t just believe in our potential; they get in the arena to help us realize our potential. They hold up a mirror so we can see our blin

Now I know that I must empower people for the new level of performance—not order it. The best way to empower people is to ask: What am I doing or not doing, as a leader, that prevents them from assuming responsibility and performing at the new level?

Author Stephen Covey says, “A leader is the one who climbs the tallest tree, surveys the entire situation, and yells, ‘Wrong jungle!’”